


Returning The Favor

by feathersandriddles



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Arkham, M/M, What we deserve, making amends, stuffed penguins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 22:03:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13257516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feathersandriddles/pseuds/feathersandriddles
Summary: Edward visits Oswald in Arkham Asylum after hearing he was incarcerated in hopes to make amends.





	Returning The Favor

**Author's Note:**

> I was inspired by this fanart by oswaidcobblpot on twitter: https://twitter.com/oswaidcobblpot/status/946767968712777729

Edward sat in the visitors room of Arkham Asylum waiting for the orderlies to bring the person he had requested to him.

Everything about being back in this place gave him the chills and brought back memories he didn’t want to remember.

Although he wasn’t the one arrested and thrown into a cell in the asylum, he still felt sick to his stomach.

Edward started taking deep breaths to relax.

He didn’t want to be here but he had to do this. It was only right.

The sound of a gate opening caused Edward to open his eyes from his calming session and saw Oswald Cobblepot waddle into the room and stop short at the sight of him.

Edward got up and folded his hands in front of him and waited for his former feathered friend to reach him.

“Move it along, Penguin!” The guard by the door said.

Oswald turned and gave him a glare as he continued his way to the table.

“Hello, Oswald.” Edward said

Oswald stared.

”Aren’t you a wanted man yourself? How did they let you in here?”

“You’re not the only one who can pay off officers. Please have a seat.” Edward gestured to the chair.

“It’s not like I have a choice.” Oswald finally spoke.

 _Ever the charmer,_ Edward thought.

Oswald pulled his chair out and sat down while Edward did the same.

“I’ll admit you’re the last person I expected to be sitting across from me.” Oswald said.

He had expected to see Jim Gordon or even Sofia Falcone to be seated in the visitor’s chair.

He was completely caught off guard by Edward’s presence.

“Always expect the unexpected.” was Edward’s response.

“Came here to gloat?” Oswald asked, bored with his head leaning against one hand.

“No, Oswald. That’s not what I came here to do.”

“Then why did you come here to do?”

“To see how you were.” Edward answered.

Oswald raised an eyebrow.

“You came here to check on my wellbeing?”

“Yes, is that so hard to believe?”

Oswald gave him a “duh” look.

“Considering the last thing I heard about you was making fun of me in a clown show please forgive me for not comprehending this action of yours you decided to take.”

“Can you blame me? You had me frozen for six months! I had the right to be angry.”

“And I had the right to freeze you. You were going to shoot me! Again!” Oswald said as his voice got louder.

That attracted the attention of the guard watching over them.

“And I had a pretty good reason to shoot you didn’t I?” Edward said with a quiet hiss.

Oswald huffed as he crossed his arms and looked away.

“But the past is not what I’m here to talk about. I really wanted to see if you were holding up alright.”

“Well you got your look. Can you leave now so I can continue my self loathing in my cell?”

“I want you to know I wouldn’t wish this place on anyone. Even you.” Edward said.

Oswald found that funny.

“I thought we were enemies. You should be wishing the worse on your enemies.”

“I’m not even sure about that anymore.” Edward said. “I seem to care about you too much to consider you my enemy and rather have you alive than dead.”

“That’s...interesting to hear.” Oswald simply said. He had to admit that he was a loss of words at that.

“What exactly happened, Oswald? I’ve heard stories but I want to hear it from you.”

Oswald looked down on his lap.

“It was my fault. I shouldn’t have left her get so close to me but I was lonely and stupid. I needed a friend and she just...” Oswald trailed off when he realized who he was rambling his thoughts to. “It was just all me.”

“Did you really kill that boy?” Edward asked. Jim Gordon, the new captain of the GCPD, in his statement on television said Oswald had blown up a child in a car. Edward knew Oswald hated children but he never thought he would reach that monstrous.

Oswald picked his head up to look Edward dead in the eye with the most serious expression he has ever seen him with.

“No.”

“So Jim Gordon framed you for another crime you didn’t commit? Unbelievable!” Edward exclaimed.

“There’s nothing I can do about it now.” Oswald said. “What’s done is done. If you don’t have anything else to tell me then go on your way already.”

Oswald sounded so defeated. Edward didn’t like that.

“I’m all better now.”

Oswald looked at Edward again.

“Really?”

Edward nodded.

“Lee Thompkins was able to fix me.”

“Congratulations. It’s good to know you can say riddles to save your ass again.” Oswald said sarcastically.

At least Oswald didn’t sound defeated when he insulted him.

“And I’m done.”

“Done with what?”

“Fighting. Fighting with you.” Edward said. “I’ve come to realize holding grudges isn’t going to do me any good especially in a city like this and that walking alone in the dark isn’t the solution.”

“And where did you learn that? In The Narrows?”

“I did. A lesson I needed to learn to move on and say that I want to try to fix us.”

A genuine look of surprise casted over Oswald’s face. Edward was full of surprises today.

“You’re serious?”

“Yes, Oswald. I want us to try to be friends again.”

“Don’t you think it’s a little too late for that?”

“No, I don’t. We never really talked about what happened and I think that was the main problem. We choose to hate rather than be civil because it’s easier. Maybe if we do talk we’ll both get the apologies we’ve been wanting to hear from each other.”

“How are we going to rekindle a friendship while I’m in here?”

“The same way you did with us when I was in here. Did you receive the sweater I sent you?”

“So, you were the one the anonymous sent that purple sweater.”

“Did you like it?”

“To be honest I got rid of it the moment I saw it. You really can’t trust anything after the events I’ve been through.”

“That’s fair.” Edward said. “ I got something else for you.”

He reached for the gift bag he had hidden under the table and placed it in front of him.

Oswald gave a quick glance at the officer that was watching them.

“Don’t worry. They tripled checked that there was nothing hidden inside the bag.” Edward said.

Oswald hesitantly reached for the gift, afraid that it would explode.

“It’s cold and icy where we live, so we have to huddle in tight. We have wings but we cannot fly, so we can’t soar to a great heights. What am I?” Edward asked.

Oswald scoffed at the riddle.

“You’re going easy on me, Ed.”  
  
Oswald took out the tissue paper and looked into the bag and there was the answer.

A penguin. A stuffed one.

Oswald took it out from the bag and placed it in front of him with his hands still wrapped around it.

“I thought you needed some proper company to keep you sane throughout your time in here.”

Oswald snorted at the irony of Edward’s words remembering who his neighbor was in the asylum.

“You can say that again.”

Oswald tried his best to hide it but he couldn’t help but smile a little at the sight of the stuffed animal. He had missed innocence.

”Thank you.” He said.

“You’re welcome.” Edward responded as he offered his hand.

Oswald stared at the extended hand until his mind caught up with him and told him yes, you do want to shake it.

The feeling of Edward’s hand in his was enough to sent jolts down his body. He had missed touching him.

The sound of footsteps caused both men to let go and turn to look at who was making them.

“Times up, Penguin.” The officer said as he grabbed Oswald from his chair to a standing position and was dragging him away.

“I’m going to come visit you again, Oswald! I promise!” Edward called as the gate door shut.

Oswald was put back in his cell and the moment he felt truly alone he started hugging his new stuffed penguin tightly.

He missed Ed already.

He noticed there was tag around one of it’s feet.

Oswald turned it over and read:

_I’m going to get you out of there - E. Nygma_

Oswald grinned. For the first time since he got to Arkham, he truly felt that everything will be okay again.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed it! Please leave a comment.


End file.
